Glad you stuck around to see this wood-finishing project through to completion. I told you it wasn't going to happen overnight, didn't I! Perfection, or anything remotely close to it, takes time, patience, and even a little more time. If you want people to walk away from your truck stunned by the beauty of your bed wood, be prepared to put forth your best effort-you will thank yourself in the long run (and maybe even remember where you got the inspiration from!).
Last month we left off as the MinWax Ebony oil-based stain was soaking into the ash boards' grains. Staining or even painting isn't necessarily a vital part of finishing the wood; it's all personal taste combined with whatever overall look you're trying to achieve with your truck. As I mentioned, since my '53 will one day end up with a pistachio-lime green and black two-tone on the exterior, I thought adding a black stain to the light wood would make a dramatic effect-we'll soon see. Staining the wood took minimal time to accomplish. The varnishing and subsequent sanding and polishing, however, required much more time and effort. But there's no way around it, so let's dive in.
While finishing off varnish is just like cutting and rubbing a new paint job (color or wet-sanding and polishing), the steps beforehand are completely opposite. With paint, you have an opaque base of primer-sealer on top of any underlying bodywork. The smoothness of your finish on top relies heavily on how smooth the bodywork is underneath. With wood, unless you're painting it (which is commonly done), the smoothness of the finish is dependent on your ability to cut the layers of varnish down evenly-without burning through to the stain-until you achieve the desired look. In other words, you don't have Bondo or spot putty to fill any voids in the grain if you're after that glasslike finish. So that means plenty of layers of varnish, each one taking a full day to apply and fully cure before the next one can go down. Are you starting to see where the big time factor works into the project?
We wrapped up the first portion of the project as the MinWax Ebony stain was penetrating the ash boards' grains. Remember, with oil-based stains, the longer you leave it on the wood, the darker it will get (same goes for water-based, but the times differ). With mine, I let the stain soak for about 5-7 minutes before wiping it down.
Fortunately, Bruce Horkey supplies customers with very detailed instructions. As a matter of fact, there isn't anything that isn't addressed-from wood preparation to handling to each and every individual varnishing step, it's there for you. Most experienced woodworkers would likely not need the reference; for the so-called amateur like myself, despite having some prior knowledge, the instruction sheets can make the difference between a job you're proud of and one you'd like to do over. I've tried to illustrate the important steps of varnishing, as well as the wet-sanding and polishing, to give you a somewhat decent visual reference to go along with the written word.
Good luck with your efforts. If you follow the appropriate steps and take your time, you'll end up with a bed that'll be envied by all.
